Christmas morning was quiet, but the afternoon was busy when most of the family came over to celebrate. Sadly, none of my kids could be there, but I’ll get to have a Christmas party with Emmy, Kieran and Kourtney on Sunday. We wore wigs most of the day including when we went for a walk and got lots of smiles. We also watched a video from a family reunion from 1996 – we laughed at our 90s clothes (lots of denim and college sweatshirts) and hairdos and at how young we all looked. It was wonderful to see everyone goofing around, especially those who aren’t with us anymore. Such a great day!
My Celtic omen for the day came when I took Javi for a walk on Christmas morning and as usual he stopped a lot to pee and sniff. I tried not to get annoyed that we were not moving at the pace I wanted. I realized I needed to be patient because he has a different way of being in the world, of sensing and learning and exploring and that’s okay. It’s different from mine and I can learn from that. I can stop when he finds something interesting and look around. I can recognize and celebrate those differences in perspective and being part of the world.
My May 2024 memories were of a family get together right before Annemarie left, camping at Pinnacles – seeing so many stars at night and going on wonderful hikes. Seeing Pat Benatar in concert with Berlin with my sisters, getting to check out Kieran and Kourtney’s wedding site, hearing Anne Lamott read some of her work at the Mill Valley library. Staying at the West Point Inn – gorgeous sunrises, hummingbirds at the feeders, hiking with Julie – seeing lots of wildflowers and banana slugs on the Ridge trail on Mount Tam. Volunteering for a VO-Cal event – helping out in the kitchen and camping at Fernandez Ranch. Camping on Mount Diablo with Julie – seeing an absolutely gorgeous sunset, remembering it was very, very windy! Hiking in the South Bay with Julie hitting beautiful spots all over including Mt Umunhum, going out for delicious Mexican food. Looking after the animals at Michelle and Tim’s – gorgeous weather, getting out for hikes in new places, trying out some more wineries, checking out Sky Park recreation area and hiking up to Horsetail Falls. Lots of outdoor time, especially hiking! It’s nice to remember those warm days when it’s been cold and rainy lately.